'Work hard and you will survive in Jakarta'

Life is not easy in Jakarta. But this doesn't necessarily mean that you won't survive. Some residents say they love the city as it provides job opportunities for those who really want to work. They, however, complain about the poor security and public services.

Rasmono, 67, is a street vendor in Kebon Kacang subdistrict, Central Jakarta. The elderly man with seven children and over 20 grandchildren has been in the capital since the mid 1950s.

Being a street vendor will probably be my final profession here. I have tried many kinds of work before, as a becak (three- wheeled pedicab) driver, a porter, and a construction worker. Living in Jakarta is very hard, but there is always a way to make a living.

Therefore, only a lazy man would say that he can't find work here. There are many ways to make money here for those who really want to work. If you have nothing, you can still work as a scavenger. If you have a motorcycle, you can work as an ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver.

I had nothing when I came here in 1955, but I was able to feed my seven children.

As a street trader, there are two things that I don't like, namely: city robbers and city beggars. You know what I mean by city robbers? They are public order officers. They rob our belongings and they ask money from us if we want our belongings back. The second are city beggars. Unlike the usual beggars, these beggars wear good clothes, uniforms. They ask money from street vendors every day. They (security officers and other city officers who often collect illegal fees from street traders) are also protected by the government.

Triana Erawati, 34, is an employee of a government agency in Kemayoran, North Jakarta, who has been living here since 1996.

I personally think that Jakarta is a city which offers more job opportunities than other cities in the country. It's quite easy to earn money here if you know how.

I work as an employee but I have a side job. I make cookies and sell them at Senen market every day (before I go to the office). I am able to earn more money, but of course, I have to work hard for it.

On the other hand, Jakarta is certainly not a good place to bring up children. There are a lot of criminals here. It's not safe for children or adults, to go out. Students here like to fight; maybe it has something to do with the social gap between the rich and the poor.

It's hard to live in the city, but I must be optimistic. What else I can do?

Adi Putra Binarta, 22, is a student of privately run Trisakti University. He rents a room near the university in the Grogol area, West Jakarta. Once a week, he goes home to Bekasi, West Java.

The city is an uncomfortable place to live. Security and public services are very poor. Traffic jams are an everyday occurrence. People waste their time on the streets.

But the facilities, including the universities, are still better compared to other cities in the country.

Johan Febrianto, 18, is a Jakarta-born student of a private high school in Rawamangun area, East Jakarta.

What do I like about the city? Perhaps the entertainment. As a teenager, I like hanging out with my friends. The city has a wide variety of entertainment, from movies to clubs.

When I had to spend a month-long holiday at my grandmother's home in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, I felt bored. But I have to admit that the town (Bukittinggi) is so green and fresh. That's what the city does not have.

However, the thing I hate the most here is the notoriously poor transportation. Bus drivers usually treat us poorly as we pay student fares. Many criminals operate on the buses. I don't know why the authorities don't get tough on them. -- JP